Canadian writers catching attention in 2018

The 2018 Stratford Writers Festival features award-winning and emerging writers from Canada during its week-long programming. While it may be difficult to catch all of the authors in the span of the week, we’re highlighting some talented writers you may not have heard of before. These authors might be new to your reading list, but they are not to be missed.

Najwa Zebian

Lebanese-Canadian author Najwa Zebian arrived in Canada at the age of sixteen, feeling unstable and adrift in an unfamiliar place. The search for a home—what Najwa describes as a place where the soul and heart feel at peace—was central to her early years. Since self-publishing her first collection of poetry and prose in 2016, Najwa has become an inspiration to millions of people worldwide. Drawing on her own experiences of displacement, discrimination, and abuse, Najwa uses her words to encourage others to build a home within themselves; to live, love, and create fearlessly. Mind Platter has been on the Globe and Mail bestseller list along with Rupi Kuar’s books.

Lynne Golding

Brampton native Lynne Golding’s debut novel, The Innocent, is based on years of conversations and interviews with her great-aunt. This historical fiction novel guides readers through early 1900s life in Brampton, a time with which many readers may not be familiar. Winner of the OBPO’s “What’s Your Story?” Short Prose and Poetry Competition, Lynne is a senior partner at the international law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP and is married to Tony Clement.

Emily Anglin

Waterloo native Emily Anglin has written a collection of uncanny short and darkly humorous stories in her debut book. According to Quill and Quire, in The Third Person, “stories creep up on a reader, occupying mental space for quite some time after reading them. The concealed details continue to percolate and develop over time.” Anglin’s written work has appeared in The New Quarterly, the Whitewall Review, and in the chapbook The Mysteries of Jupiter.